2010-11 Class Stuff

The book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has to be one of my favorites. The book comes in a variety of book covers, but I read it with the cover that has the boy take up the whole space (left hand side). I think this cover really catches your eyes, because of the boy's eyes. The emphasis of his eyes makes it feel as if he is looking right at you. The words are also in the hands, like the very first cover ever made (right hand side). The type used for the title is very extravagant, so in order to understand it, you have to look at really closely. Although, the use of weird font and different formatting can be hard to read, this design makes you want to know more, with how the words are arranged. A minimal color scheme is also used, which makes the cover have unity. The book holds so much emotion and the same emotions are within the cover of this book as well. This cover is a combination of the movie poster along with the original book cover, this makes the newest cover even more thought provoking, since there is a movie and the events are based on a true story. Overall, every aspect to the latest cover grabs the reader's attention because there is so much that is said through just one picture of a young boy.

For many people, the cover of The Perks of Being a Wallflower might not be very thrilling. There isn't much going on and to them it might be boringly simple, except this simplicity is what makes this cover, to me at least, so great. There is almost nothing happening. The cover is bland except for the top and bottom. It's empty. Book covers in my mind are other representations of a book, they hold their own story. This book cover doesn't have much graphics, besides one picture. But, that one picture, makes the cover more interesting. So many questions arise from this cover, which makes you want to read it even more. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the two major aspects, which makes the cover very clear. Through solid colors and emphasis, the cover of this book manages to capture my eye. One other factor that I think makes the cover more interesting is the way the words are typed. In the title no capital letters are used and in the author's name there is a mix of capital and lowercase letters. This arises more questions. And I think that a cover that makes you think, is a cover that has done its job well.

The Great Gatsby is a classic book with a classic feel, and this book cover portrays that very well. The primary colors (red, blue, and yellow), are the most prominent. This color scheme makes the cover pop out. The emphasis and focal point, is the face in the middle because your eyes are immediately drawn to the eyes on the paper. I think that this makes the cover more interesting. The texture created to dots and strokes makes the cover have a modern yet older feel to it. The eyes of the lady on the cover are also not normally colored, which makes for them to be prominent. Since the book takes place in the 1920's, the font used creates that same 20's vibe. The entire cover as a whole is apparent that the book is set in a different time, since its design is very different than most modern books. Although I have not read the book yet, I have wanted to for a while now, and this cover makes me want to read it even more.

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All three of these covers have one thing in common; they make the audience want to learn more. They all have secret messages hidden in them, and capture the eye of the reader. Although it is said to not judge a book by its cover, the cover of a book sets the mood and scene. It is an important aspect for readers when they choose a book. A thought provoking cover leads to questions. And curiosity has endless outcomes. This is, what I believe, is the most important factor to a book cover. The cover needs to be designed in a way, where there is emphasis on certain aspects, but it also needs to make the audience become curious of what really the book holds.